Latch.



No. 881,182. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

G. w. & o. E. efos's.

- 4 LATCH..

APPLIOA'iION FILED SEPT. 23. 1907.

Y Fig. 4 is a section on line -x, Fig. 3.

GEORGE W. GOSS AND CHARLES E. GOSS, OF BALTIMORE, OHIO.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Original application filed April 30, 1907, Serial No. 371,099. Divided and this application led September 23, 1907.

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE L Goss and CHARLES E. Goss, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Fairfield and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Latch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to latches for gates and the like and is a division of an application filed by us in the United States Patent Office on April 30, 1907, Serial No. 371,099.

The object of the invention is to provide a latch which will lock the gate when closed no matter to what position the gate may be moved by the adjustment thereof.

A still further object is to provide a latch which will be held retracted and which will be automatically released as soon as the gate is brought into contact with the gate post so that the latch will be free to move into engagement with its keeper.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a gate showing the improved latch connected thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the latch the same being shown in engagement with the keeper. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the latch retracted. Y Fig. 5 Fig. 6 is a is a section|on line Q/, Fig. section on line e2, Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a gate of any suitable construction and preferably of such a nature as to be capable of adjustment vertically so as to com pensate for any sagging which may occur. As such adjustment constitutes no part of the present invention it has not been shown and a detailed description is not deemed necessary. The latch embodying the present improvements is designed to automatically i lock the gate when closed whether or not the same is in raised position. As shown in the drawings this latch consists of a channel iron 14 mounted to reciprocate within a U-shaped guide and support 15 suitably secured to the gate near its free end. A coiled spring 16 is disposed within the latch 14 and is secured at one end thereto as shown at 17 while its other end is fastened to the end of the gate in any desired manner. A locking pin 19 extends laterally from one end portion of the latch and a notch 20 is formed in the latch adjacent said pin. Secured upon a post 21 constituting the stop of the gate are brackets 22 to which is fastened a keeper 23 in the form of an angle iron having a plurality of notches or recesses 24 within that edge thereof adjacent the gate 5. A trigger 25 is pivotally mounted upon the end of the gate and directly under the latch as shown at 26 and this trigger has a rounded or hooked end 27.

When it is desired to open the gate the latch 14 is drawn backward by grasping a handle 28 extending therefrom. This will extend the spring 15 and withdraw the latch from the sides of the keeper 23. It will also bring the notch 20 into register with the trigger 25 so that as soon as the gate is swung away from the post 21 the trigger will swing by gravity into the notch 20 and hold the latch in retracted position. When the gate is swung closed the hooked end 27 of the trigger will strike the post 21 just as the latch passes the notched edge of the keeper. Said trigger will therefore be pushed out of the notch 20, and the spring 16 will draw ythe latch longitudinally with its end in position between the post and the keeper and the pin 19 seated in one of the notches 24. It will of course be obvious that when the gate is adjusted upward or downward by the means hereinbefore described the pin 19 will be seated in the notch 24 registering therewith. This pin serves to support the cuter end of the gate when closed should said gate be subjected to a downward pressure from any cause.

That is claimed is:

1. The combination with a post and a gate hingedly connected to the post; of a latch carried by the gate, and a keeper having a plurality of superposed latch receiving notches, one of which is disposed to be engaged by the latch when the gate is in any position to which it may be tilted.

2. The combination with a post and a gate hingedly connected thereto of a second post, a keeper connected thereto and having a plurality of notches in one edge thereof, a spring actuated latch carried by the gate, a locking pin movable therewith, a trigger carried by the gate and disposed to engage the` latch and hold it in retracted position, said said means being disposed to contact with trigger being movable against the post to resaid second post When the gate is closed to lease the latch. release the latch.

3. The combination with a post, and a In testimony that We claim the foregoing 15 5 gate movably connected thereto; of a second as our own, We have hereto aHiXed oursignapost, a keeper connected thereto and having tures in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

a plurality of notches in one edge thereof, a GEORGE W. GOSS. spring actuated latch carried by the gate, CHARLES E. GOSS. means movable therewith for engaging any Witnesses:

10 one of the notches in the keeper, and means N. B. SANDS,

upon the gate for holding the latch retracted7 E. O. WEIsT. 

